Metropolis

The Younger Son had never seen Fritz Lang's Metropolis before, and today was as good a day as any, he having found it used at Spin Street and wondering what all the fuss was about. I think he's still wondering what all the fuss is about.

Watch the shortened version (from before the recent restoration) here:

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Roger Ebert says it's "one of those seminal films without which the others cannot be fully appreciated." The 1927 New York Times review says, "It is a technical marvel with feet of clay, a picture as soulless as the manufactured woman of its story." Moria has a mixed review, calling it "confused in terms of its motives and messages" but giving it 4 stars and saying, "For all its muddiness of thinking, Metropolis is an astonishing film." FilmReference.com has a lot of resources listed and calls it "the most significant utopian film of the silent era". Bright Lights Film Journal has an article. Senses of Cinema says,

The influence of this monument of the silent era cannot be overstated; from mad scientist scenes in Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931) to the look of Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982) it echoes down through the cinematic ages.

1000 Misspent Hours closes by saying,

the restored Metropolis is definitely worth a look, especially if you, like me, have ever sat down to watch one of the previously available versions and ended up wondering just what in the hell all the fuss was about.

9/20/2007: 1001Flicks has a review.

7/2/2008: GreenCine reports the original version of Metropolis has been rediscovered. Kino has more information.

9/24/2008: Out of the Past has a review.